


Kiss it better

by Dekka



Series: Mitch Marner Whump Fics [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Bleeding Out, Blood, Get together at the end, Injury, M/M, Mitch kisses Auston while high but Auston puts an end to it, Shock, Stitches, Trauma, Worry, getting sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 14:19:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11488143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dekka/pseuds/Dekka
Summary: After weeks of begging, Auston gives in to Mitch's pleas to work out together during optional skate. It doesn't go as planned, but the events that happen lead them on a path to each other.





	Kiss it better

**Author's Note:**

> This is super rushed but I wanted to get this out so I could focus on other Fics! all warning are in the tags but if i missed something please let me know! All mistakes are my own, and also i do not know these people and these characters are not mine and these events are in no way true.
> 
> Also, as always, I can't get things that are supposed to be in italics to be in italics so sorrryyyy

Optional skate has never felt very optional to Auston. The pressure to be the best, to live up to his draft placement, hangs heavy over him everyday. But when Mitch begs for weeks on end for him to take ‘one, _just one_ , Auston,’ optional skate to work out with him, he eventually gives in.

It takes another couple weeks of Mitch’s pestering for him to actually pick out which optional skate they’ll opt out of. Its not that he likes leaving Mitch hanging, if anything that’s the opposite of what he wants to do. The longer he leaves Mitch without an answer the louder the music on their ride home gets, the louder Mitch’s whining gets, and the louder Mitch’s moments of silence feel. It says a lot that Mitch is even going quiet in the first place, so Auston picks their next skate and despite every logical part in his brain, he prays he doesn't ruin his career.

The day comes up quicker than he would've liked. Mitch is a ball of energy, finally back to his more reserved, but still bouncing off the walls, self. 

Just when Auston’s getting into the groove of his workout, Mitch somewhere behind him, everything goes downhill. 

It's the sound of some weightlifting machine loudly clattering to the ground that makes Auston completely regret everything. Him and Mitch have been working out for half an hour and Auston's barley broke a sweat while Mitch bumbles around him.

"What'd you break?" Auston asks without even turning around, when Mitch is quiet for too long after the clatter. When the quiet persists Auston sets down his weights and grabs for his towel. He barley hears the small, "I think my hand," that comes from Mitch. He only rolls his eyes, not even bothering to turn around, and reaches for his water bottle next.

"Auston, I'm bleeding."

Auston frowns at the tone, wiping down the equipment he was just using, and figures Mitch is just displaying his love for being overdramatic. "Stop complaining, it's probably a little paper cut."

"Auston," Mitch says pleadingly. Auston huffs as he turns around.

He blinks, looking around for cameras. This must be a prank.

" _Auston_ ," Mitch pleads.

This is decidedly not a paper cut and not a prank. Blood pours from Mitch's hand and down his arm like a fountain. Auston’s stomach falls to his feet. Neither can look away, standing frozen at the sight. 

"Auston I think I'm going to pass out.” Mitch says, his voice so syrupy that Auston's initial panic redoubles, even as he doesn't move an inch, still staring at the endless stream of blood. He externally lets out every curse word he can think of while searching his brain for anything that will help them, but helpful thoughts come slow. He can’t believe this is happening. He doesn't know what to do. No one’s ever told him what to do in this situation. 

Mitch pitches forward, stumbling to the ground. It snaps Auston into motion.

"Um hand up" he says firmly, having to lift Mitch's hand up for him when Mitch just looks at him helplessly. Auston takes the towel he just used to wipe his face and wraps it firm around the cut spanning from Mitch's thumb to the inside of his wrist. He feels slightly bad as Mitch whines, weakly trying to pull away.

"It's so much." Auston hears Mitch mutter, eyes dizzily looking at the blood from the cut that's spread onto his arm, shirt, pants, floor, equipment, and now Auston.

"Someone help!" Auston finds himself yelling, completely at a loss for what more he could do. Thankfully Morgan Reilly's head pokes into the weight room. Morgan's happy greeting is cut off when notices the scene and pales considerably. He turns tail the next second, yelling over his shoulder that he'll find help.

Auston is once again left alone with Mitch, who's becoming more delirious by the second. The once white towel held between them is now completely red. If Auston listens close enough he can hear Morgan yelling, he can hear more voices joining the frantic calls for the trainers.

Mitch slumps against him on the floor, no longer trying to hold his weight upright. "Mitch, man, you have to talk to me,” Auston commands, concern all consuming as Mitch leans more and more heavily against him. If Mitch completely loses consciousness, he'll likely fall backwards with the way he's sitting, and Auston knows he can't risk taking pressure off the wound he's holding to ease Mitch to the ground.

The room around them is eerily static, morning light filtering in peacefully while Auston's hands shake, trying to save Mitch's life.

"Talk to me." He begs again, jolting his shoulder where Mitch's head has lagged. "Your shirt smells like the dryer burnt,” is Mitch's mumbled reply. Auston fools himself into believing the mumbling is due to the way Mitch is pressed into his shoulder, and not from the mass amount of blood loss.

He takes a deep breath anyway, filling his lungs to yell for help again, when Mitch turns his head to the side, thankfully far enough away from Auston, and pukes. Auston uses the air built up in his lungs to yell out "hurry" into the empty room instead, hoping someone will hear. His voice echoes, mocking him. Mitch is unresponsive when Auston tries to get him to talk again, only babbling nonsense against his shoulder. 

Mo finally comes bursting back into the room with trainers, the team doctor, coach, and some of the boys trailing after. Apparently Mo's frantic panting got the severity of the situation across because within seconds people are taking Auston's place. His arms burn as he lowers them, but they feel far away, detached from his body. 

"Ambulance is only one minute out now," Auston hears someone say. There's a tight grip on his arm, pulling him away from the scene as the trainers and doctors get Mitch laying flat. He's so pale that Auston thinks he'll never be able to look at Toronto snow the same way again.

"He's in shock, get him sitting down and some water." They must be talking about me, Auston thinks, as he's suddenly sitting, a bottled water being pressed into his hand. He doesn't remember how to grip, so he lets whoever's holding the cold bottle keep it there, freezing his shaking palm. When he finally realizes what he's seeing, when all his frantic thoughts catch up to him, he feels like he's going to be sick.

By some form of magic, there's a bucket in his lap just when he needs it most.  
He looks up from puking, hands shaking the bucket as he holds it, and sees Mitch's legs, the only part of his friend that's visible amidst the sea of people that drown him. They're unmoving, small, and so fragile. Everyone's so fragile. One cut, and life comes pouring out, sucking away everything that makes that body a human, a person.

He pulls on his own hair to try to rid the thoughts from his mind. By another form of magic he feels the bucket move, but never hears it hit the ground. There's a warm hand rubbing his back, and another on his knee, belonging to someone who kneels in front of him. When he concentrates hard enough, he recognizes Brian Boyle, all 6'7'' of him, crunched down in front of the bench where Auston sits. To his right he sees Mo, and instantly understands the parental hand that's rubbing his back. On his other side is Gardiner, a firm steady presence that is ultimately what snaps Auston into focus. Steady means control. Steady means he's not panicking. Not panicking means things are alright. 

"Is Mitch okay?" He finds himself asking Gardiner, refusing to look back over to the huddle of people surrounding Mitch.

"Matt and Naz just left for the hospital, and Connor and Freddie are coming down here right now so they can take you home." For Auston, it's too much information that's not about Mitch.

"Mitch?" He asks again.

"Is on his way to the hospital." Gardiner explains slowly. Auston can feel Brain shifting in front of him, so he wills himself to look at the vet. From over Brian's shoulder he can see the space where Mitch once was is now empty. "When did the ambulance come?" He asks, trying to catalog time that's somehow slipped through his fingers. "A while ago, don't worry about it. The trainers and team Doctor said they’d help with your shock, since the paramedics had to get Mitchy out of here pretty quickly.” Auston frowns at the words directed at him. What he doesn't understand is why they aren't telling him more about Mitch. 

Auston looks to Mo, raising his eyebrows in a way he hopes conveys how much he just wants straight answers about Mitch right now. Mo's eyes soften, "Mitch will for sure have stitches, and might have to have surgery to reconnect some veins.”  
He lets that sink in, along with the reality that Mitch is taken care of and will recover. Auston eventually finds the mind to be embarrassed about how worked up he got, and tries to apologize to the guys, only to be shut down. "It was a lot of blood man, and Mitchy passed out on you, you have every right to be scared and in shock,” Morgan tells him.

Morgan is the one that takes him to the locker room to wash the blood off his hands and get him new clothes. Mo talks to Auston the whole time, distracting him from the blood-red water and then the stained clothes he throws out. Auston leaves the locker room in leafs merch, blood still under his fingernails despite the five minutes he took scrubbing under them. 

They force him to talk to their medical staff before he leaves. He bullshits his way through their questions, eager to get home. 

Freddie and Brown meet him outside of their trainers offices. They talk nonstop, never letting a silence pass, even when Auston doesn't respond to their prodding. They take him home, then hover in his kitchen until he promises he's fine. The second they're gone he's dialing Matt. He gets his voicemail three times before he hears a rough "hey," come through on the other line.

“What’s happening,” Auston asks, no nonsense. Matt sighs, his shifting audible, “Mitchy’s parents just got here, and Naz is headed to the store to pick up the painkillers he's gonna need.” 

Auston is sick of people not getting to the point. “Mitch,” he says, short and aggressively, “What is happening to Mitch.” If this were any other situation he’d be worried for his life for talking to Matt Martin like that. But Matt just laughs humorously, obviously stressed out, “Auston, he’s okay. Better than okay, no surgery need, just a hell of a lot of stitches. Thankfully whatever hit him recoiled before it cut him again so there’s some intact skin between the longest cut, and then just one other cut running parallel. If it hadn't lifted off of him they said there wouldn't have been much they could've done.” 

Auston breathes for what feels like the first time today. “They also said you're a hero, Auston. Kid’s still kicking because you held the wound closed so tight. Any longer and he would've bled out. You did good, get some rest.” It’s a clear dismissal. Practically a command to get rest. They say goodbye, but Auston still holds the phone up to his ear for another minute, worried that Matt is lying about the good news. Auston just can’t picture Mitch’s hand and wrist mangled and bloody the way it was and correlate that with good news. 

And for Matt to say he did a good job? Auston doesn't feel like he's done anything good. He feels the exact opposite, like this is his fault. If he would've agreed to go earlier Mitch wouldn't have been so raring to go, maybe he would've taken his time with the equipment, or if they went earlier in the season maybe more guys would’ve joined them and someone could’ve got help for Mitch sooner. Maybe someone would’ve known what to do and reacted sooner. 

Auston’s head hurts under the pressure. He puts his phone ringer on as loud as it can go, then connects his phone to the speaker system he has in his room, and forces himself to crawl into bed. 

Sleep doesn't come easy, but he just keeps promising himself that when he wakes up everything will be better. 

And he’s right. Four hours latter he wakes up with his mind the clearest its been since the accident. There’s even a snap chat from Mitch. His shaking hands make him put in his phone passcode four times, but once he gets in he's calmed by the image. Its Mitchy, smiling wide with wires all around, his heavily bandaged hand and wrist up for the camera, and a lollypop hanging from the side of his mouth. The caption reads, ‘feeling the good stuff.’ Its so lame that Mitch is trying to be cool while sucking on a lolly and bandaged up like a barely finished mummy. Auston replays the snap, then takes a screenshot. 

Because Mitch is Mitch, the second he’s not heavily doped up he's texting Auston. 

_Matts, I can play in a month!_ _BTW thanks for saving my life, Jack._

Auston rolls his eyes. The last twenty snaps from Matt and Naz were of Mitch in the recovery room watching Titanic and bawling his eyes out. ‘Does that make you rose,’ he sends back. 

_Im always rose._ _Wow typing with one hand suks._ _Im so slow._ _How will I ever reply to my million messages of love and well wishes?_

‘I’ll tell them you didn't make it,’ Auston sends. He gets a string of crying emojis in response. Then, _I’ll be home in three hours wanna stay over?_

______________Auston types back yes before he can overthink it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He’s disappointed when two hours later Mitch texts that his parents are making him stay with them tonight. It’s probably for the best, but Auston still wants to be there. He’s not surprised when Mitch asks him to pick him up in the morning to take him to the rink. Auston knows there’s no way Mitch will be playing anytime soon, but figures the trainers have already asked Mitch to come in so they can also assess the damage, so he agrees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They text back and forth for the rest of the night, avoiding talking too seriously about Mitch’s injury. Auston falls asleep mid text, and wakes up to nearly forty messages from Mitch. When he scrolls up the first ten are just Mitch being annoying about Auston falling asleep on their convo. After that, they get real, Mitch really thanking Auston and telling him how scared he was and how happy he was that Auston was the one he was with when it happened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The messages make him tear up, but when he picks up Mitch later they’re both all easy smiles, not touching the subject of his injury._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The best part of Auston’s day ends up being when he gets to watch Mitch walk into the locker room to cheers and a balloon tied to his skates. Mitch blushes under the attention, but raises his cast-heavy hand and wrist up into the air and does a victory lap around the room, high-fiving teammates with his good hand. It’s his first real reminder of how Mitch radiates happiness. He can’t imagine life without it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Everyone dotes on Mitch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Morgan is by the rookie's side whenever they're not forcefully pulled apart, ready to open bottles, doors, and do anything that could possibly require two hands. Matt Martin, at this point, should be getting paid by their security staff, with the way he watches over Mitch. Even Willie's excited hug that he pushes on a welcoming Mitch gets a side eye from Matt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It's still Freddie that gets the save of the day, off the ice, when someone forgets Mitch's injury and tosses the rookie a water bottle. Mitch is half a second from catching it with his freshly bandaged hand when Freddie's own hand darts in front of him, grabbing the water bottle from mid air. The room lets out a collective sigh of relief. Freddie gives the bottle to Mo, who uncaps it and gently places it in Mitch's good hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________For all that Mitch went through, the vets still dote on Auston just as much. Despite his constant reassurance that he's fine, they all can tell the incident shook him up. Their first day back after the incident Brian leaves Auston a coffee in his stall, iced and made just like Auston likes. Gards hovers whenever they're together, constantly having conversations over his head with Mo, who’s still attached to Mitch's side across the locker room, and Brian checks in almost constantly, asking him if he ever did see the therapist the paramedics suggested he see._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It's the worst when they're together. "Can you pass the ketchup?" Mitch asks Auston, jammed into a corner booth with eight other hockey players. Hands scramble for the bottle before either rookie can make a move. Auston fights his hand into the bunch, and pulls the bottle away, eyeing his teammates. Most realize their absurdity, and avoid eye contact, suddenly very absorbed in eating their own food. Auston puts the ketchup down in front of himself. Very carefully, well aware of Matt Martin two people away, within arm’s reach, he nudges Mitch, ”Get your own ketchup.” Mitch's delighted laughter is all that prevents Auston from Matt's death stare.  
The laughter is killed as Mitch squeezes the bottle, red pouring over his fries. Mitch has a hand over his mouth the next second, dropping the ketchup bottle while trying not to get sick. He’s deadly pale. Auston himself has to look away, the memories still fresh in his mind. "It's okay," Morgan soothes, "it's okay." Someone pulls the plate away from them, their table suddenly quiet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Auston tries his hardest to focus on anything that isn't Mitch. Anything that isn't his blood seeping out of his body. He can feel Mitch bury his head against his shoulder, shaking away the images of his injury. It’s too similar to their position that day, when Mitch was lagged against him, babbling nonsense in answer to Auston’s questions._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Eventually, Morgan gets them both out of the booth, away from food, and outside in fresh air. Mitch is okay before Auston is. He even places a steadying hand on Auston’s back when he throws up in the grass in front of their parked car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Lets get you guys home,” Mo ushers, when they’re both steady on their feet. They’re both too shaky to drive and they feel bad that Mo’s driving in the opposite direction he needs to be, so Auston tells him to drop them both off at his house. Mitch doesn't argue, so Auston considers it a win._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They send the rest of their day huddled together on Auston’s giant couch, marathoning random shows and movies until they're both passed out, curled against one another._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The next day their teammates hover twice as bad, as if the smallest thing will set them off. It comes to an end when Mitch’s voice can be heard booming across the locker room. It’s not his normal happy tone. "I'm not going to break,” he yells, then storms out. Auston follows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Things after that get slightly better. The guys are at least more secretive of how protective they’re being. It’s something. It shows they're trying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Mitch gets his cast off on a rainy day. Auston offered to drive him to his appointment but Mitch just blushed and explained how his mom barely lets him leave the house without her these days. So Auston sits and waits, knowing Mitch's mom is in a waiting room well- waiting._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The point is, Auston feels like he should be there, like he should be the first one to see the three lines of stitches it took to fix Mitch up. Nothing against Mitch's mom, but Auston was there. He had to watch as blood poured from Mitch, had to try his best to keep the blood where it belonged. Eventually, Auston just heads to Mitch's parent’s place, a little outside of Toronto, and waits in the living room with Mitch's Dad while sports net plays in the background. They’re conversation is stilled, but Auston is too worried about Mitch to care about the impression he’s making._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Mitch comes back looped up, only two stitches taken out. “Wasn't healed properly under the casting, they want some air to get to it before they try again,” Mitch’s Mom explains to them while dealing with a handsy Mitch. Her final straw is when Mitch pulls at her earrings, captivated by the way they dangle. “Auston, mind taking him upstairs?Anymore time with him and I’ll be missing an ear.” Auston is more than happy to comply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Getting Mitchy up the steps is like walking on a tightrope. Every two steps Mitch wavers, drastically throwing his weight against Auston to keep his balance. Halfway up Auston is done with this shit and just gets one arm under Mitch’s knees and the other under his back. He isn't as light as Auston was expecting, but they make it up the remaining steps in the time it took them to get up four before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Settling him in bed is worse. Every time Auston so much as thinks about taking a step away Mitch starts crawling towards him. Mitch has no depth perception right now, and Auston is forced to catch him before he goes rolling off the bed more than once._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Eventually he gives in to Mitch’s pleading face and settles in next to him, opening his arm for Mitch to snuggle up against his chest. It’s not a common position for them, but snuggling isn't uncommon between some of their teammates, especially where Mitch is involved, so despite it feeling different and raw, Auston holds tight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Mitch both kills the mood and saves it by showing Auston his hand. It’s gnarly. The stitches are red and irritated, and where they took two out today is already starting to leak a clear fluid that in no way looks healthy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I think it’s crying,” Mitch says, mesmerized as he holds his hand above them, “it’s crying, Auston, kiss it better.” Auston barely reacts fast enough to block the hand that Mitch is bringing closer to his lips. A bit of the liquid oozes out, falling onto Auston’s chest. He feels like he's going to be sick. The smell alone of the injury, laced with ointments, is enough to have Auston’s eyes watering._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’re crying, Auston,” Mitch says then, “I’ll kiss it better.” His lips are on Auston’s before Auston can even process what’s happening. He can’t pull away right away, too worried that pushing Mitch away will get his hand hurt, so he grabs Mitch’s injured hand that’a laying limp on his chest then gently eases Mitch away, and settles him against the pillows. He doesn't look at the way Mitch’s lips are red, his eyes fluttered closed, and his mouth upturned in a happy smile. Auston breathes for a second, hoping his voice doesn't crack when he tells Mitch, “No kissing right now, you’re doped up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“When I wake up?” He asks, without opening his eyes. Auston doesn't let himself believe this is real. “When you wake up,” he promises, despite it’s emptiness. If this is the only time he gets to see Mitch like this it'll be enough. Mitch’s smile widens, sleepy and content. “When I wake up,” he says dreamily. If it weren't for the wistful tone, Auston would think Mitch was chirping him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________In the morning, Mitch is flushed red and mumbles apology after apology. “Consent is a cool thing, I’m sorry I came at you.” Mitch is too horrified and embarrassed for Auston’s taste. “I could’ve pushed you away, it’s chill.” He says it like it means nothing, like he knows what kissing all his friends is like. Like he knows what kissing his friend and enjoying it is like._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They get ready to head to the rink together, bumping hips in the bathroom and making faces at each other in the mirror. For the first time, Auston lets himself imagine this differently, as if they were together, making faces at each other between traded kisses and hip bumps._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Help me wrap this,” Mitch says, throwing gauze at Auston. The gauze hits his chest and rolls onto the counter, and finally he snaps out of his thoughts. He pats the counter with his hand and waits for Mitch to sit up there so he can fix him up. Once they’re settled it’s oddly intimate, Auston pressed close in the perimeter of Mitch’s legs. He realizes he wants this everyday, until it’s enough to fulfill the hunger inside of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Mitch offers his hand, and Auston takes it gently, turning it over to trace up his palm, inches from the cut. It feels like the air in the room is gone, sucked up by the feelings he’s finally acknowledged. He doesn't know what he’d do without Mitch, he doesn't want to know what he'd do without Mitch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’m so happy you're alive,” he whispers, bringing the hand up to kiss the back of Mitch’s palm. He can hear the wet gasp Mitch lets out, but he's still surprised to look up and find tears in his best friend’s eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’re crying,” he says, hand that’s not cradling Mitch’s injured one coming up to wipe away the tears._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Mitch laughs, broken by a choked-off sob, and leans his cheek into Auston's palm. “Then kiss it better.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________And Auston does._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It’s far from the innocent and clumsy peck of lips from last night. It’s deep, searching, and slow. Auston keeps his grip on Mitch’s injured arm tight, worried he’ll try to pull Auston closer with it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________So he doesn’t try Auston steps closer, until his feet are hitting the counter and his hips are against Mitch’s. It gets him a sloppy moan in return and an opportunity to take advantage of Mitch’s gasp-opened mouth. It’s so easy to lose himself in the feel of Mitch under and around him. It’s easy enough that the only thing that pulls them apart is the ringing of Auston’s phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It’s his final alarm. If they leave any latter Auston will be late for practice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________With a sigh Auston rests his head against Mitch’s shoulder, unsure what today will bring, and what their kiss means._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Mitch reassures his worries. _“You want to love me, you want to kiss me, you think I'm sexy,"_ he sings, mocking one of the twenty movies they watched last week. ______________

____

____

____

____

________________“Okay, Miss. Hart, time to get you to the trainers,” Auston laughs, helping Mitch down from the counter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I bet I’d so win Miss Congeniality,” Mitch says, not moving away from the huddle of Auston’s arms. He gets the full effect of Auston’s eye roll, up close and personal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re literally Agent Matthews, I don't know why I even try.” Mitch leaves him in the dust, smiling at his retreating form._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________If the butterflies swimming through Auston's stomach are anything to go by, he thinks they’ll be happy this way._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________A couple weeks later and Mitch’s hand is still supposed to be in a Velcro brace when he’s moving around, but Mitch has been taking liberties to show off the rows of stitches. When everyone on the team’s seen it, Mitch needs a new audience. Every time someone asks what happened Mitch gives them a new story. It gets to the point where even Toronto's media has joined the game._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The only consistent part of the story is his explaining of how Auston, very heroically, swept in and saved the day, keeping most of his blood inside his body by using his super human speed and strength to stop the blood flow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Auston listens to every retelling and every rumor, glad that he’s somebody’s superman. Especially when that someone is the kindest, most loving person he's ever met. He doesn't understand how someone like that can look to him and see him in that same light._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________He tries to get that across to some of the guys one day, when they're sitting around the locker room talking, but they don't seem to understand the way he wants them to. “Mitchy is just so great.” He tries using his hands a little, expressing himself more openly like Mitch talks about. “Yeah, Mitchy’s the perfect fit in here,” Gards says, completely oblivious to the eruption Auston is about to have if he doesn't get his point across. No one understands what Mitch means to him. No one gets the feeling he radiates into everyone he talks to.________________

 _ _ _Auston’s never been good with words, so when Mitch walks by he grabs his hand, pulls him in close, and kisses him._ _ _

________________There’s hoots and hollers from the guys, but more importantly there’s Mitch, with his arms thrown around Auston’s neck to keep him close.________________

 _ _ _Auston finally feels like they all understand just how much Mitch means to him._ _ _


End file.
